


here for the view

by end_thistragedy



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff, M/M, Nurse Niall, Nurse Zayn (mentioned), liam works at a zoo & aquarium
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-11 02:59:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4418525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/end_thistragedy/pseuds/end_thistragedy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Harry goes back, not even a week later with Ali in tow, easily tugging her along under the assumption that they're going to see Zeus again. Zeus and not Liam. Definitely not Liam. But if they do happen to see Liam that won't be so bad, will it?</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	here for the view

**Author's Note:**

> this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever written and I love it tbh.

Harry meets Liam by accident.

His niece, Ali is excited, as they're walking though the halls of The Point, the Zoo & Aquarium, yapping next to Harry and swinging their arms back and forth because she is under the impression that she's about to meet a real live shark.

Harry is excited about the prospect, too, but a little apprehensive because he doesn't exactly know where he's going and his stubborn sense of _I can do this on my own I don't need to ask for any help_ pride has led him in both circles and astray.

Workers have come up to them, even the same ones, and asked Harry if he needed to be directed somewhere, but Harry has chosen for some obnoxious reason to pass their wandering off as "We're just getting a bit of exercise."

But finally, after turning around a new corner, Harry sees arrows. _Arrows are a good sign_ , he thinks.

"This must be it, Als!" Harry silently hopes as they end up at a door.

It's not--it's definitely not and they walk into perhaps the most freezing room that's ever been made and there's a guy sitting cross-legged in a wetsuit with a penguin beside him as his feet dangle in what Harry assumes is the penguin pool.

"Oh!" Harry makes a slightly embarrassed noise and awkwardly points over his shoulder, "I--Uhm. Thought this led to the sharks." The arrows had pointed vaguely in the doors direction, but maybe he was mistaken.

"Um. Hi. No sharks here."

Ali tugs on his arm and squeals, "it's a penguin! H! It's a penguin!"

"Sorry...sorry." Harry says, distracted, torn between the tug on his arm and the mental tug towards the boy's rather expressive face. "We'll just--"

"H!" Ali presses.

"Ali I know. I see the penguin. Come on." Harry looks at the boy sheepishly. "Sorry again."

When he chuckles. Harry blinks. He has a very nice chuckle. "It's all right. This place's a maze." He runs a hand over the penguins fur. "Ali? Was it? You're here already. You want to pet Zeus?"

Ali's eyes widen and she nods eagerly, "I would please."

"If that's all right with you?" He asks Harry.

"Wouldn't want to tell her no."

The boy brings his feet out of the pool and turns to sit cross legged with the penguin or--Zeus in his lap. "Come on then. He won't hurt you. He's the nicer of the lot."

Ali steps forward cautiously, dropping Harry's hand like he wasn't just the object of her affections mere moments before.

"Don't be shy." He cajoles. "He likes it when people pay attention to him. Spoiled, he is."

"Sounds like somebody i know." Harry teases.

Ali snaps her head around to glare at him. "You're being mean."

Harry places a hand to his chest. "What? Me? Never."

The boy laughs again and Harry thinks very seriously about taking a nose dive into the pool of freezing water.

Ali ignores him and mimics his position on the ground. The floor is wet and Harry thinks about her getting sick from the cold and wet clothes she'll most likely end up with. "He's very pretty." She says.

"He's all right. I'd let you hold him but I'm sure I'd get fired."

"That's ok. I just want to pet him." She assures him, and does just that. Her hand running over Zeus' belly. He retaliates a little, but relaxes soon enough.

"I think he likes you, miss Ali."

Ali smiles, and perks up. "Can Harry pet him too??"

He glances up at Harry, "if Harry wants to. Do you want to, Harry?"

Harry thinks it's a bit unfair that he knows Harry's name but Harry doesn't know his. "I'm not sure."

"Come on, Harry! Are you afraid?"

"No. I'm not--"

"He's a big chicken!" Ali says, "he won't even go on rollercoasters."

Harry pouts and makes a plummeting gesture. "I don't like the dips." He says, "and you! You little rat, you don't like bridges."

"They can fall down!"

"Bridges are quite frightening." The boy says.

"See!"

"You're supposed to be on my side, penguin guy. I feel betrayed."

He laughs and honestly Harry has to start keeping score. "It's Liam. And I think you should stop trying to distract us from the situation at hand here."

"I'm not trying to distract anyone, Liam. I'm not afraid to pet a penguin."

"Then why have you pressed yourself against the door."

Harry is downright cheesing by now. "It's cold."

"You're an awful liar. Is he always this awful?" He directs at Ali who has lost interest in their exchange and is playing a hand game with Zeus' fins. She offers a noise of confirmation that Liam takes easily. "Well the verdict is in and it looks like you're a weenie."

"A weenie. Honestly, Liam." Harry sighs. "All right. Okay, out of the way, Als. I'll show you both who's a weenie."

Harry pets the damn thing under its neck or lack thereof really and it practically purrs. Liam claps and Ali joins in and says, "I think he likes Harry, too, don't you think, Liam?"

Harry doesn't really mean to meet Liam's eyes it just happens that way and he can't really look away because Liam's just smiling and it makes his entire face light up to the point where Harry thinks all the world's happiness is right in front of him, all of the sun's shine radiating from that smile.

"I think he does. Even if he's a weenie."

"Are you supposed to talk to guests that way? Bring them down? Insult their manhood?"

"I think you insult your own manhood wearing that hat."

Harry frowns and touches a hand to brim of his hat. "I think I look cute." When Liam looks unconvinced, Harry relents. "Ali hates it too. She cried when she first saw it."

"With good reason."

"I am appalled at the service here. Just so you know I plan on leaving a lengthy complaint. Do not allow penguin guy Liam to talk to customers. He called me a weenie and insulted my hat."

Liam goes to retaliate, but the door opens and Harry turns his head and sees a small girl who pauses and eyes the scene before grinning all too knowingly. "Hi?"

"Oh, uh. Jade, this is Harry and Ali. They wanted to see the sharks."

"Harry went through the wrong door." Ali says, accusingly, "but that's ok. Because Liam says Zeus likes me and Harry so we're all friends now."

"Oh. All right. Well--if you still want to see the sharks you'd better get there before it closes at three. Me and Liam have to get the penguins settled for the evening crew but I'll show you how to get there?"

Harry feels a sense of bitterness and anger. "Right, yeah. Yes. I promised her sharks." Harry says, "It was nice meeting you, Liam."

"Same to you. Even though you've got a ridiculous hat."

Harry tries not grin as he says, "Say goodbye to Zeus and Liam, Als."

"Goodbye!" Ali says, patting Zeus' fur and then Liam's shoulder. "Thank you, Liam."

"You're very welcome, miss Ali."

Ali blushes and Harry rolls his eyes.

\--

Harry goes back, not even a week later with Ali in tow, easily tugging her along under the assumption that they're going to see Zeus again. Zeus and not Liam. Definitely not Liam. But if they do happen to see Liam that won't be so bad, will it?

When he follows his mistaken route again, increasingly enticed by the pointing arrows, Ali skips beside him, singing some song that sounds like it's from The Lion King.

She'd just seen it the night before, having climbed into the backseat of Harry's car and saying, with too much conviction for a six year old, "It changed my life."

Harry thinks she's singing Scar's song and of course she is, considering who her mother is.

"You sound amazing, pet." Harry compliments, and she beams up at him, near toothless, with that dimple in her cheek that runs so far and deep in their family.

They're prepared for the cold this time, wearing jackets they'd gotten a strange look for leaving the house earlier, considering the burning heat of the summer that had everyone sticking to their seats.

But Harry's not prepared for the sight that greets them.

Liam spots the two of them right when they enter the room, grinning, and sat on the edge of the pool with his wetsuit folded down, the state of his wet torso a bit too much for Harry to bear. "Hey! Look who's back!"

"Where's Zeus?" Ali immediately asks, slipping her hand out of Harry's and running to sit on her knees beside Liam.

"Careful, Als!" Harry reprimands as she leans over to peer into the water, but Liam's there, pulling her back away from the edge.

"He's not in there, he's in his tank."

"Can you get him? Tell him I'm here?"

Liam laughs and it's the brightest thing Harry's ever seen. "He's been grumpy today. Won't even come up for food."

"But aren't you the boss? It's not right for him to be stubborn." Ali says, sounding like she's giving Liam parenting lessons. Harry wants to laugh, because that's the Styles in her.

"I can't control how he behaves. That's the best thing about it. Everyday is a mystery!"

"Could you come in and he'll be purple? That's my favorite color."

"He could!" Liam plays along, "Or striped or polka dotted."

"Lies, Liam." Harry says, causing Liam to look at him like he's foiled his fun. But Harry would never. "There's no such thing. They turn purple and pink and green and even yellow."

"I don't think that's true, Harry." Ali says.

"Yeah. Who's the penguin expert here?"

Harry holds his hands up. "Sheesh. Tough crowd."

"Is he always like this?" Liam asks, and Ali doesn't hesitate to bob her head almost furiously.

"He tells bad jokes."

"Hey!" Harry drags out the word, actually veering on offended. He's been insulted by one child too many in his life. "I'm hilarious."

Liam is giggling, a pleasant sound and sight that Harry is probably going to lie at night and think about for the rest of his life. "I have my doubts."

"Excuse me, Liam. You've never seen me when I'm at my prime." Harry says, "I damn well can't perform in this cold. I can't believe you're sat without a shirt on." He actually doesn't mean to draw attention to it; but it's out there.

"I'm used to it. Spending most of my days in here. But." Liam says. He leans back, propping himself up on his hands. Harry can see him kicking his feet in the water. "We can go somewhere warmer if you'd like?"

Harry's eyes widen only slightly, "Yeah?"

"Could you meet up around six?"

"Oh." Harry immediately blushes. And he's better than this. He's smoother than this. "I'm not sure I can keep her out that late. She's got dinner and--"

"Actually, I meant just you? No offense cutie." Liam ruffles Ali's hair and she smacks him away, looking between the two of them with an increasing scrutiny.

"Oh! Right. Sure. I--" Harry stumbles over his words, his hands flopping uselessly. "Uhm."

"Here, hold on--" Liam turns to Ali, "Do you happen to have something to write with in your bag, miss Ali?"

Ali looks guarded, staring at Liam suspiciously. "Do I get to see Zeus?"

"Als, don't be rude--" Harry starts, but Liam's smiling, eyes crinkling as he says, "I'll see what we can do, yeah?"

Ali purses her lips a bit, like she's come to doing when she's deliberating on something. It's usually about which color to use to paint her mother's face while she's sleeping, or which frog she's going to chase around the backyard and stuff in Harry's bag when he's not looking. "Fine," she sighs, like she's been put out and starts rampaging through her bag until she produces a red marker.

"Thank yo--" Liam tries to take it as she hands it over, but she keeps her surprisingly strong grip on it, turns that same scrutinizing eye on him.

"Do you like Harry?"

"Oh my god," Harry groans, covering his face with both hands, "Allison."

"You know what," Liam starts, sounding fond enough that Harry peaks between his fingers to watch him. "I do think he's rather cute."

Ali smacks her lips and says, "Gross," but lets Liam have the marker, presumably satisfied with the answer.

\--

Harry and Ali leave hand in hand again, but Harry has an address written small but legible on his arm and Liam's number saved in his phone.

\--

Harry tells Niall and Zayn the moment he gets home.

Zayn's lying on the couch on his back with his laptop on his stomach and talking about anime while Niall's barely listening, bobbing his head to music that isn't playing as he's sat on the floor scrubbing his shoes with a toothbrush, his scrub bottoms on, but shirtless.

Harry barely even blinks, just announces, "I met someone," and finds his place among them, fitting in easily, walking over to the window to grab his water can so he can fill it up to water his plants.

"Yeah? Where this time? In the parking lot of Trader Joe's?" Niall teases.

"Nah, babe, remember that was last month." Zayn adds, and Harry considers pouring water on them both.

Zayn doesn't actually live with them, but he's there enough that Harry sometimes forgets, coming out of Niall's room in nothing but his pants and complaining about there being no milk; cuddled up with Niall on the couch after they're both exhausted from working a long shift at the hospital; constantly stealing the remote when Harry's watching television; or vacuuming the living room floor when Harry gets home, complaining that no one cleans around here.

But Harry is endeared by it just as much, if not more, definitely more, than he's annoyed by it.

"Actually, I met him at The Point." He corrects, which only makes them laugh, loud and rather rudely.

Niall falls over onto his side, clutching his stomach, "Only Harry would be able to pick up someone at a Zoo and Aquarium."

"This is upsettingly predictable." Zayn shakes his head, disappointment clear in his impeccable features.

"He hated my hat," Harry says, near dreamily.

"That's like a proposal for you." Niall snorts, "Jesus, Haz. What a story to tell the grandchildren."

"Aren't you going to be late for work?"

Niall snaps his head around at the clock on the wall above the television and curses, "Shit."

And Harry feels a sadistic sense of pleasure.

\--

The address leads him to a small movie house a few blocks away from The Point. It's squeezed between two newer buildings and sticks out with its paneled walls and hideous but charming trimming.

Liam's waiting on the steps when Harry walks up and it suddenly reminds him of a church--one of the older ones that have been standing since the 30s, with the wooden doors that open right into the sanctuary.

"Hey," Harry announces his presence, and when Liam looks up, Harry realizes he hadn't really been prepared for those eyes to be on him, for them to visibly smashing when Liam smiles, getting to his feet to pull him into a hug. It's all very rude and disturbing if Harry's honest. But he wraps his arms around Liam's frame, taking full advantage of the opportunity.

"Hey, you make it here all right?" When Liam pulls back, Liam's arm lingers around his waist and Harry leans into it.

"Yeah, thanks, hi. How are you?"

"I'm good, babe. I'm glad you came. I was worried for a moment you'd find another aquarium guy to take you out," Liam runs his hand up and down Harry's back and puts space between them as if realizing belatedly he hadn't let go.

"I mean--I was tempted." Harry teases, "Plenty of fish in the sea and all that."

Liam makes a face, but Harry can see that he's amused. "That was so awful."

"You were warned, Liam." Harry says, like it's out of his hands now. Liam's sealed his fate. And, he thinks, as Liam rolls his eyes, playfully, sliding his handle not so subtly into Harry's and says, "I figured it'd be worth it."

Maybe he has.

\--

The movie house is showing some artsy silent film that doesn't even have words to read on the screen, but it honestly does not matter. They're two of only six people in the theater and they're sat at the very front row, craning their necks up to see the whole screen.

They get through half an hour of it before Liam's leaning over to kiss Harry's cheek, and whisper, "Do you want to try to get kicked out?"

And Harry was raised better than that, he knows. But the idea of being inappropriate with Liam and pleasing him has a considerably stronger pull on him.

So Harry breathes, "Yeah. Yes," and Liam kisses him.

It's like a Nelly Furtado song, is the very first thing Harry thinks. He's confused by that, but maybe it's the feel of Liam's lips against his that's screwing up the wiring in his head. Maybe it's the way Liam presses Harry into his seat, the way he chuckles when Harry presses back, biting at Liam's bottom lip and making him hiss.

Or maybe it's the way his hand slides up Harry's shirt, blunt nails pressing gently into Harry's skin and making him moan. The way he drags his lips down Harry's neck as Harry links their fingers together again, grounding himself and subtly trying to make sure this was actually real.

They kiss until there's a flashlight shining on the two of them, on the other end the bored teenager from the tickets counter that Harry convinced to apply to a college out of state when they'd gotten into a conversation while Liam bought popcorn.

"Sorry, Harry, but--" She starts, apologetic, and as she escorts them out, Harry wishes her good luck and really hopes she gets into the art program she's passionate about.

On the way to Liam's car, Harry stops and presses Liam against a light pole and kisses him twice, on the lips, and then on the nose, Liam's nose crinkling up as Harry takes a hold of his hand again.

\--

The thump is hard, a startling sound resonating throughout the silence of the car, par from their labored breathing and the sound their lips make together, the sound of skin against skin.

It's Harry banging his head hard against the car door, a surprised and frankly over reaction at Liam managing to make him cry out, one hand on his cock and another crooked just right inside of him, sending him falling over with a startled yelp.

Liam busts out laughing, even over Harry's, "Ow. Fucking ow--Liam--" and at first, he thinks he's okay, he's fine, and he punches Liam's chest and rolls completely off of Liam's lap, switching their positions so he can lie more comfortably on his back.

But as Liam's blowing him as an apology, their fingers entwined, Harry's head starts swimming more painfully than it would any other time he's gotten a blowjob and he tugs at Liam's hand.

Liam looks up at him curiously and immediately stops. Harry's dick falls obscenely out of his mouth and he wipes his lips on the back of his hand. "Shit. You all right?"

And no, Harry thinks, he most definitely is not.

\--

Liam drives him to the hospital and to emergency and it's like the universe hates him because of course Niall would be the nurse assigned to his bed.

"Uhm." Harry says awkwardly, when Niall pauses in the door, "Niall meet Liam."

Niall blinks between the two of them, "What's happened to your head?" He asks, and then looks bemusedly at Liam who's at the side of his bed, feet propped up, and sucking on a lolly he'd nicked from the reception desk.

"Bumped it."

"More like smashed it." The doctor corrects from Harry's other side. And she's smiling at him like she knows everything, but Harry's sure she possibly can't. Doctors were often called miracle workers, but they weren't like divine entities. She presses soft fingers at the back of his skull and he hisses, nearly falling over again.

Harry feels his cheeks redden, "Sorry. I don't really handle pain well."

Niall snorts, "Clearly."

"Quite a bump you've got there." The doctor says, "What were you doing?"

"Um. Exercising." Harry responds, not entirely lying.

"Vigorously." Liam adds. "I told him it's not a competition, but he tried to make it one."

"You told reception you were in the car." The doctor says, and looks at him like she's even more tuned in on his secrets. She can't be.

Harry blushes and tries to talk over Niall's bursting laughter. "Yeah--just. Did I say that? I don't think I--maybe I've got a concussion?"

"Don't worry. As long as it was a parked car." She says, and writes something down on a little prescription notepad. "You do have a mild concussion. You'll be fine. Don't sleep for a few hours and take these to ease the pain. I've seen worse car related injuries if you can believe it." She teases. Harry is probably permanently tinted pink. He shouldn't have let Liam take him to the hospital.

She pats his cheek and turns an accusing finger at Liam. "Promise not to put him in here again?"

Liam crosses his heart, wearing Harry's shirt and grinning. "Promise."

"I'm tweeting this." Niall says, snapping a photo of the scene.

"Please don't." Harry knows that Niall's got over a thousand followers from his lifetime of being the most likable guy on the entire planet and would rather not have documentation of his failure of a sex life plastered all over the internet.

"Too late for that." Niall says, shaking his phone before speaking into it, "Hi, Zayn. No, He's fine. Yeah--but the car wasn't moving."

Harry groans.


End file.
